Introduction

Educational psychologist Donald O. Clifton developed the CliftonStrengths assessment that is currently administered by Gallup as a self-awareness assessment. This assessment utilizes a unique perspective of focusing on an individual’s existing strengths instead of weaknesses or areas requiring growth. The assessment identifies patterns of thought, feeling and behavior which are also known as talents in the assessment. This helps individuals know what areas they have the most opportunity to develop talents into strengths. This strength-centered perspective helps people improve self-awareness, promote development and enhance areas in which they are naturally strong or proficient.

What is the CliftonStrengths Assessment

The CliftonStrengths assessment, formerly known as StrengthsFinder, is a tool utilized to identify top talents an individual has from 34 possible options. The 34 options are grouped into four areas: Executing, Influencing, Relationship Building and Strategic Thinking. There are 177 statements in the assessment, and individuals have 20 seconds to choose the one answer that best describes them or their reaction to the prompt. Based on these responses, individuals receive a report that highlights their dominant talents and provides extra information on how to apply these insights to their everyday lives. Some versions of the assessment will provide users with their top five strengths, top ten strengths or all 34 strengths.

CliftonStrengths is unique compared to other personality tests which categorize people according to type or category because it focuses on the unique combination of strengths and abilities of a person. Rather than putting people into boxes, the goal of CliftonStrengths is to identify what is naturally strong within an individual with an emphasis on building up that strength rather than “fixing” a weakness. This sets CliftonStrengths apart from other assessments by emphasizing the building process on natural tendencies and abilities rather than creating a strength that is not natural to the user.

Improving Self-Awareness

An immediate benefit of the CliftonStrengths assessment and the results you receive is the ability to have a better understanding of yourself and a deeper sense of self-awareness. Individuals can go through daily life without understanding why they are gifted in some areas and not others. Understanding what motivates you, your thought process, or the areas in which success is most often found can help hone those skills that result in the most positive outcomes. This assessment can help people understand these concepts or dynamics and bring to light strengths and areas of caution that might accompany these strengths.

Someone who has the “Empathy” strength may recognize they can sense how others feel more deeply than those around them. Understanding this can clarify why they are relied on for support or why they are affected by the emotions in a room. An in-dividual with the “Empathy” strength might also have the tendency to try and help all the people that come to them for support. This can become draining and have a negative impact on work performance and overall wellbeing. A person with “Strategic” strength may recognize they can see patterns and create plans more easily than others. An individual with this same strength might need to be cautious that they are creating systems and procedures in areas that are better left more organic, such as office relationships or activities. This could have a negative impact on the overall office culture and performance if a system is needed for all areas of the atmosphere. Self-awareness in these areas can empower people to look at what they excel in rather than focus on areas they need to improve, while also helping them understand they serve a valuable role in their team.

Opportunities for Development

CliftonStrengths not only highlights what individuals are naturally good at, but it also provides a framework for development. Talents identified by the assessment are not fully formed with strengths until they are trained and developed. Gallup defines strength as the ability to consistently produce near-perfect performance in a specific activity. Individuals can start the process of developing these talents into strengths once they understand what talents they possess in their given environment. Gallup’s approach encourages people to seek opportunities that align with their strengths. Instead of trying to fx weaknesses that might not improve significantly, individuals focus their energy on what they do best. This can lead to greater job satisfaction, improved performance and a stronger sense of purpose.

Enhancing Existing Strengths

The CliftonStrengths assessment also encourages development in areas of existing strength. Even those who have a good handle on their dominant traits can benefit from more information and training on said traits. Strengths are not static and evolve over time in different contexts. Revisiting one’s results every few years shows new layers of understanding and ways to apply those strengths more effectively.

Conclusion

The CliftonStrengths assessment is more than a personality test; it is a powerful developmental tool that empowers individuals to understand themselves, grow intentionally and thrive in areas where they naturally excel. Whether used by individuals, teams or organizations, its strengths-based philosophy has the potential to transform not only how people see themselves, but how they interact with the world around them.